big block ???????????

[chevy6673]

i just got my 396/4O over mild cam ,we rebuilt this winter in my 66ss does anyone known what water temp should be when driving around and whats to high i have never had a big block and am not sure thanks GO BLACKHAWKS

 

[Hib Halverson]

IF the engine is timed right, the carb is jetted properly, the cooling system is working properly, you've got the correct big-block radiator, the gauge is accurate and you have a 180 thermostat; you ought to see 180-200 during normal driving.

 

[gmjunkie]

IF the engine is timed right, the carb is jetted properly, the cooling system is working properly, you've got the correct big-block radiator, the gauge is accurate and you have a 180 thermostat; you ought to see 180-200 during normal driving.

Thats where my LS6 BB in my Olga Truck runs!!

 

[chevy6673]

IF the engine is timed right, the carb is jetted properly, the cooling system is working properly, you've got the correct big-block radiator, the gauge is accurate and you have a 180 thermostat; you ought to see 180-200 during normal driving.

just put a cooling fan on today 16inch 2100cfm just in case when its hot out and am at a long light with stop and go traffic it has gone up to 210 ,and when i turn it off the temp goes up (new 750 ) with a 160 thermostat it starts right up no drag on starter alumm radiator when driving it says at 160/170 ,motor has 200 miles only

 

[tracksnblades1]

i just got my 396/4O over mild cam ,we rebuilt this winter in my 66ss does anyone known what water temp should be when driving around and whats to high i have never had a big block and am not sure thanks GO BLACKHAWKS

Was your 396 factory installed in your 66ss? Mine had a sb and had the small 2-core (two tubes) radiator. The big block cars of that time had the larger 3 &4 core radiators. The 4 core (four tube) also called full cores radiator, with correct fans and shrouds, had no cooling problems in any driving or towing conditions.

 

[chevy6673]

no it had a sb i have a alum 2 tube radiator ,had a 3row it wasnt any better someone told me 240 is red line for water temp does that sound right it has never got that hot

 

[orlandjoe]

My 454 with BeCool radiator always stays at or below 210 on the temp guage. I have both engine fan and electric fan, with the electric fan on a toggle switch so I can turn it on when stuck in traffic. My thermostat is a 160 degree.

 

[chevy6673]

My 454 with BeCool radiator always stays at or below 210 on the temp guage. I have both engine fan and electric fan, with the electric fan on a toggle switch so I can turn it on when stuck in traffic. My thermostat is a 160 degree.

sounds like we have the same set up thanks

 

[tracksnblades1]

no it had a sb i have a alum 2 tube radiator ,had a 3row it wasnt any better someone told me 240 is red line for water temp does that sound right it has never got that hot

Wow how time flys. 33yrs ago, at 15, I bought my 66ss 2drht 327/300 4/sp. My donor car was a wrecked 70 caprice/classic of my uncle's. After the 454/390 broke every thing practically from the transmission back, you know I was in a hurry back then, one by one I used all the parts from the 70 including the the radiator and rearend. I don't remember but I think the 70 had a wider radiator as well as the desirable four core radiator. I believe I had to use the 70's radiator support also. I'm remembering these radiator as the old vertical flow radiators. Stewart Warner gauges back then were said to read high. I don't remember temps higher than 200 though even when expermenting with the 70's turbo 400 with high stall converters. I would research what will fit in your car. Some of the old copper harrison radiators had high efficiency/ high capacity cores. Chevrolet had the better water pumps on the camaros and vettes. Some had balanced flow scrolls to equalize bank to bank cooling. I like aluminum radiators but the don't have the BTU (british thermal unit) capacity of the like sized copper units. Copper has the 4th lowest resistance to heat transfer. Behind Platinum, gold, silver and ahead of aluminum. Distilled water is pure h2o no minerals to foam or to form sludge in your cooling systems. No chlorine to blow/eat holes in metal. Water is the standard in measuring a liquids ability to absorb/transfer heat and has the reference number of 1. Antifreeze is not as efficient as transfering heat as water. You may find radiators with h2o/antifreeze mixtures of less than 50-50 can help to cool the hard to cool beasts. A properly designed, sized and maintained radiator can maitain the thermostat rating. Within the thermostat's differental. All cooling cools have a designed temperature drop (across the coils). Search for the radiator that has the largest capacity(BTU's) and the greatest temperature drop (across the coils). You want it cool on the hot days too. Chevrolet had eight blades fan that could move so much air it sounded like take off. Your car probably didn't have much for a shroud in 66, but the fan would have been close to the radiator. Like good motor mounts close. Some of the better and now affordable radiators were the copper unit in the old 6.2 diesels. These are huge crossflows, fender to fender almost, and will cool almost any engine used in cars and pickups. They had high/cap high/eff cores and fins. The later 6.5 aluminum units weren't bad either. Hope you get'er cooled down. There is a song about a fireman thats out there coolin down old flames. My 66 was a 2dr blue/green with a white top.

 

[chevy6673]

thanks for the help, time does fly by i have had my ss scence 1979